Search This Blog

A Blog for those who have fun with science fiction, popular culture etc. I'll be following, movies and TV. Especially fond of 12 Monkeys, The X-Files, Orphan Black, Fringe, Dr. Who, James Bond, and the like.

Helix - New Trailer and The Willis Hypothesis

Before we know it Helix will make it's return and with it, I'm hoping we'll get to revisit "The Willis Hypothesis."

For those of you unfamiliar with the Willis Hypothesis here is a quick synopsis.

"Willis formed the Age and Area hypothesis during botanical field work in Ceylon where he studied the distributional patterns of the Ceylonese vascular plants in great detail.[3] According to his hypothesis the extent of range of a species
may be used as an indication of the age of that species. He also
maintained that the "dying out" of species occurs rarely, and that new
forms arise by mutation rather than by local adaptation through natural selection.[4] Willis defined his hypothesis as:

"The area occupied at any given time, in any given country, by any
group of allied species at least ten in number, depends chiefly, so long
as conditions remain reasonably constant, upon the ages of the species
of that group in that country, but may be enormously modified by the
presence of barriers such as seas, rivers, mountains, changes of
climates from one region to the next, or other ecological boundaries,
and the like, also by the action of man, and by other causes.[5]"

I originally became fascinated with the Willis Hypothesis when it was mentioned in passing by the Candace Sutton (Jeri Ryan) when she angrily dismissed Hatake's work as an abomination. Here is what I said back then.

So what have we learned from Mr. Willis and how does it connect to Helix?

First off we may have learned why Arctic Bio-Systems is located in the
great white north. As Willis stated, "the ages of the species
of that group in that country, but may be enormously modified by the
presence of barriers such as seas, rivers, mountains, changes of
climates from one region to the next, or other ecological boundaries."
I'd say the Arctic clime serves as a sufficient boundary.

So why are we dealing with the thoughts of an obscure botanist? I think
the answer lies with Hatake. I've always wondered why he so much plant
life in his private lab and the entrance way to his secret stairway.
We've always known he's been interested in the mutation of species, in
our case, the human species. He's been experimenting with viruses as
vectors and the manipulation of genetic code to change people "from the
inside out" as Doreen stated it.

We also know Candace Sutton was all for starting a new species and
was very impatient for the "dying out" of our current species. Hatake
referred to her solution as "genocide." Hatake, I feel, had a different
solution and that would be mutation instead of natural selection.

I think Hatake has taken Willis' work and adapted it to the human condition. As Willis observed, "also
maintained that the "dying out" of species occurs rarely, and that new
forms arise by mutation rather than by local adaptation through natural selection. "

Simply put, Hatake has been experimenting with the mutation of plant
life and adapting it towards the human species withinin the
constrictions of Willis' theory. The end game would be a kind of
plant/human hybrid.

I'm having second thoughts about the "Plant/human" hybrid but I still believe that Hatake was looking for a way to insure the survival of the human race without resorting to the genocide that Sutton and her son "The Sycthe" favored.

So what is the connection between the Willis Hypothesis and season 2 ?

The plant kingdom.

There has been an abundance of plant imagery used in the promotion of this coming season especially for the season 2 premier, "San Jose." Here are some more examples.

New Theory!

This time I'm think the Ilaria Corporation is using the basic tenets of the Willis Hypothesis to spread the infection of their virus more quickly to the human population, not to insure it's survival per se. Perhaps the "Black goo" isn't quite quick enough for them. So evil.

Hatake would not be pleased.

The Trailer

The new trailer,"Pray" offers some tantalizing looks at the new season. Here is the expanded version including a quick look at what appears to be Hatake.

Here is a screen capture of the Hatake moment and it occurs at about the 54 second mark of the video.

It's possible this is a flashback or even a flashforward but either way it looks as though Hatake is not out of the picture yet. Is he a part of the new island setting? I wonder who else survived the blast?

Added to our short list of hirsute wonders is Dr. Alan Farragut. The strange thing about Alan's appearance in the trailer and on the Island is that he seems to have preceded the arrival of Dr. Sarah Jordan and her group. (Which includes Peter and the new guy, Kyle.) What is he doing there? Has he infiltrated Ilariya or just this Island group?

Does Sarah know Alan is on the Island? What of their child? Is that what the Teddy Bear on the bed hint is for? A tease?

Speaking of lovers, Dr. Julia Walker also appears to be on the Island ahead of the CDC team. Is she working with Alan? How's the finger? When we last left her she seemed to be heading up Ilariya in Paris, was that an fake flash forward or has she broken free from their thrall?

Spoiler Update

Did I just say "extreme flash forward" get a load of this synopsis for the season two premier courtesy of Spoiler TV.

15 months
after the events at Arctic Biosystems, new CDC team with the addition of
biotoxicologist Kyle Sommer respond to a potential outbreak on a
Windjammer in the Northern Pacific. Their search leads them to an island
occupied by a mysterious cult led by the charismatic Michael.
Meanwhile, 40 years in the future, Walker arrives at the same island
searching for Alan Farragut.

What th', what th', what th???!!!!

40 years in the future Walker arrives at the same island looking for Farragut?